Morrisey, other AGs ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear case on ban of dismemberment abortions

CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a 21-state effort urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case about a state’s ability to ban a disturbing type of abortion.

Morrisey signed onto the brief, which defends a law similar to that implemented in West Virginia and six other states that prohibit dismemberment abortion practices.

“The lives of unborn children must be protected,” Morrisey said. “States have every right to ban such a disturbing procedure within their borders. We must protect life at every stage.”

West Virginia’s law, enacted in 2016, makes it unlawful for any person to purposely perform or attempt to perform a dismemberment abortion.

Morrisey

A federal district court decision blocked enforcement of Alabama’s law, a move Morrisey says could call into question the authority of other states to abolish this particularly gruesome abortion method.

This coalition’s brief supports Alabama’s appeal and cites existing Supreme Court case law in arguing that states have an interest in protecting and fostering respect for human life, including unborn life.